My journey from a tech newcomer to a seasoned expert in the Power Platform has been nothing short of transformative. I'm eager to pass on the knowledge and insights I've gained. This blog post will guide you through the essential steps and resources you need to kickstart your own career in the Power Platform. Much of what I will share in this blog post has come from my own personal experience and endeavours - and I'd also like to share what I would do differently if I was to do it all again.
Why Choose A Career In The Power Platform?
If you are a school leaver or have been bouncing between roles for most of your working life, choosing a career in tech is rewarding and skills required in this space have never been more sought after. Everyday, thousands of businesses are reaching to tech tools to help solve business problems and assist with the daily running's of managing a business, and with these tools comes skilled people needed to operate and build useful business solutions that can ease the workload on a particular business or increase productivity for the team.
Microsoft's suite of business tools has grown to be one of the most popular choices bosting huge opportunity with it's Power Platform, and it's not too late to learn and be part of this growing sector.
"The important thing - Get Stuck In"
How Easy Is It To Get Started?
Starting your journey in the Power Platform might sound quite daunting to begin with - maybe your story is different to mine. You may have been tasked with building solutions for the business you currently work for or maybe you're looking to make a career shift like I did.
How much does it cost?
You can get started for very little to no cost at all by picking up a Microsoft 365 Business Basic license for a few dollars per month which will give you access to the suite of tools you'll need to begin learning. But, what's next? Where do you start? How do you avoid overwhelm?
Where Should I Start?
There are tonnes of resources out there and learning materials including Microsoft's bespoke certifications. Whilst certifications are a great addition to your resume we can put this on hold for now and come back to it later. For me, getting hands on is the best way to learn. Start by building small solutions that will give you that "Quick Win" and develop your reassurance that you can do it! This can be anything from a simple Power Automate flow that automatically sends an email to a simple Power Apps form that allows users to add entries to a data source or list.
It's important to not jump into a huge build that will quickly become overwhelming. There's plenty of time for that as you grow and develop your skills.
At Collab365, myself and the coaches have built dedicated success paths that are designed with these points in mind. Quick and simple solutions that focus on the key principles of the Power Platform in very digestible modules - and by the end you'll have real solutions that you can use in the real world!
This is not only important from a learning perspective but also allows you to build a portfolio of solutions that are appealing to potential future employers and boasts experience within the Power Platform.
What Barriers You Might Expect Early On?
With any career change you'll hit barriers in the industry and limitations in your skills. This is an important part of you personally development and skill that you'll need to learn to overcome.
Starting my working life in retail and moving to IT and the tech sector with Microsoft tools bought many challenges, the first of which is the language... No I'm not talking about developer languages (that's not something we have to worry about with the Power Platform) but the everyday language of the role.
Language
I found there are often hundreds of new phrases, abbreviations and other jargon that didn't make sense to me early on. A lot of people will cower away from seeking help as they don't want to come across like they don't know much, especially in the early days of a new job - the best piece of advice I can give is don't be afraid to ask for help. For the most part, many of the people I've spent time with are encouraging and willing to help - remember there are no stupid questions.
Microsoft Is Bigger Than You Think!
Another barrier you'll find early on is the sheer size of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, but you shouldn't let it overwhelm you. You'll quickly realise that Microsoft is more than just Word, PowerPoint and Excel and extends to almost 100 different tools and services that do different things and manage different aspects of a business workflow. For me, my focus was on the Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI & Power Automate), but it's worth exploring what the other services do at a fundamental level because it's likely you'll start reaching for them when you realise how closely integrated the Microsoft 365 ecosystem is.
My recommendation is to find your niche early on! You like automating repetitive tasks, focus on Power Automate, you like building apps for other employees to use, spend time in Power Apps - or maybe that analytical side appeals to you, then step in to the realm of Power BI. Start with one, then expand your learning later on when it's required.
When Should I Focus On Microsoft Certifications?
Certifications are a great way to show off your knowledge, and the question poses different answers depending on your situation.
Many of the Microsoft 365 certifications come with a cost to take the exam therefore should be considered an important factor when determining when you should take the exams. Another consideration is to take a step back and look at the position of your career. Are you already employed and building solutions for your business? Are you looking to find a career or role in the Power Platform? Are you already a consultant for the Power Platform?
If you are in the later 2, then certifications will significantly enhance your reputation and appeal to employers and clients that you will likely have in the future. If you are the first option, then in my honest opinion, certifications don't offer too much benefit and the cost to take them could be better spent in other areas, such as additional training such as workshops, courses and challenges. Remember the majority of your experience is gained from practical learning and implementation.
Finding Employment As A Power Platform Developer
There may be a plethora of reasons why you are looking for a career change or a different work environment. This could be financial reasons, workplace culture, or maybe you're looking for a rewarding career in tech.
Experience
Many roles require a level of experience and I often hear "How do I get experience, when all the jobs require experience". Remember everything you can do in the Power Platform can be done at home. Use this time to work on personal solutions, perhaps a health tracker solution or a food calorie calculator using a barcode scanner in Power Apps. Everything you build no matter who it is for still counts as experience.
Salary Expectations
With Power Platform skills you can expect a range of salaries that are very competitive with code based developer roles and Power Platform developers are highly sought after right now! So, how do I find a job and kickstart my career?
Building A Portfolio
First, it's important that you position yourself in a way that stands tall above others. I'd recommend beginning by building a portfolio of solutions that you would be proud to share with potential employers. For me, I built an Learning Management Solution, a Holiday Booking Solution, an Inventory Solution, various Component Libraries and even an online Poker Game that I could play with my colleagues.
Boost & Update Your Social Prescence
We live in a world where to be relevant and stand out often requires a strong social Prescence - and no, I'm not talking about dancing on TikTok. For me, the strongest platforms are YouTube & LinkedIn. For those that know the Collab365 Team, I post regular videos of my learning and findings to assist and guide others. This is a great way to cement your knowledge even if you only make YouTube videos for personal use. It also shows employers your keen desire to learn, share and shows your character early on.
LinkedIn is also fantastic if used and managed in the right way. It's quite easy to become lost and have your feed become messy and full of self promotion. However if you are smart about the groups you are joining and the connections you are creating - LinkedIn is the perfect platform for professionals. They have a huge library of jobs on their jobs board and you'll find that you are regularly contacted about vacancies directly from employers and agencies when you specify you are open to opportunities.
Update Your Resume / CV
I've seen a lot of examples of resumes lately and often are approached in a way that can diminish the readability.
We all like talking about ourselves right? We want to share everything about us, every detail about every job we've ever worked in and in most cases - we can take a step back. Let's put on the hat of an employer... You are recruiting for a new position - and you have 300 resumes to look through. You're less likely to read what appears to be an essay or a 3 pager on how you served Ice Cream at Baskin' Robbins when you left school.
Keep your resume short (one page is perfect), and only highlight the important points that are relevant to the position you are applying for. List your portfolio and social links where relevant and talk about the skills you have attained in the Power Platform.
Interviews
Interviews are what you make of them and simply changing your mindset can go along way when dealing with the nerves and anxiousness that comes with them.
Yes, you are being interviewed - questioned about your ability and scoped over your character. But let's turn this on it's head - remember this is also a perfect opportunity to gauge the company you could be working for, understand their workplace culture, their goals and most importantly... If you think you are a good fit for their business, not the other way around.
Always remember to be honest about your skills, show ambition to learn (there is always more to learn) and show enthusiasm about the technology you have invested your time in learning.